97% of new teacher posts filled — DepEd
The figures are part of the agency's updates as it marked one year under the leadership of Education Secretary Sonny Angara.
This also comes in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directives on improving the education system, as stated in his State of the Nation Address.
'Mula sa simula, malinaw ang layunin natin na makinig, ayusin ang kailangang ayusin, at itayo ang mga kulang,' Angara said.
(From the start, our goal has been clear: to listen, fix what needs fixing, and build what is lacking.)
Teacher and school staff support
The Education Department said it has taken steps to improve the working conditions of teachers. This includes the introduction of new career levels, Teacher IV to VII, and the reclassification of more than 2,100 school heads to principal positions. The department said these changes aim to strengthen leadership at the school level.
The teaching supplies allowance was doubled to P10,000, and a medical allowance for teachers was introduced. For private school teachers, the annual salary subsidy is now P24,000, an increase of P6,000. The department also reported a reduction of more than 50 percent in paperwork requirements for public school teachers.
Addressing infrastructure and connectivity gaps
DepEd said it is working with private sector partners to build 105,000 new classrooms to address the national backlog. Modular classrooms designed for disaster-hit areas are also expected to be deployed by August.
To improve connectivity in remote schools, the department is coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Energy (DOE), and National Electrification Administration (NEA). A public-private project, PSIP Connect, is in the pipeline to deliver digital devices, solar panels, and internet access to last-mile schools.
Focus on early education and learning recovery
The School-Based Feeding Program has been expanded to include all public kindergarten learners starting this school year. A new initiative called Project SIGLA will pilot digital health and nutrition tracking for students. Meanwhile, construction has begun on 328 Child Development Centers in the country's most impoverished municipalities.
To address literacy challenges, DepEd cited gains in foundational reading skills through the Literacy Remediation Program and the Bawat Bata Bumabasa Program. These were implemented over the recent school break.
Curriculum and system changes
The revised K to 10 curriculum places greater emphasis on literacy and numeracy. A strengthened Senior High School curriculum, currently being piloted in 900 schools, aims to better align with academic and technical-vocational skills. Senior High School graduates are now eligible for entry-level government jobs under Civil Service Commission rules.
DepEd said it also reduced the textbook procurement timeline from 451 days to 60 days, with printing and delivery now taking only 110 days. A digital supplier registry has been created to improve transparency.
The department also plans to roll out Project Bukas, a new platform aimed at providing public access to DepEd data. The revamped Adopt-A-School Program and School Finder platform now allow private sector donors to directly support schools in need.
To foster digital innovation, the Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR) has been launched. Other upcoming digital tools include Project LIGTAS for disaster mapping and Project TALINO for identifying schools with urgent needs.
Despite these developments, Angara acknowledged there is still a long way to go.
'Marami pa tayong kailangang ayusin, marami pa tayong kailangang abutin. Pero habang pinagkakatiwalaan tayo ng taumbayan, hindi tayo titigil sa paglilingkod,' he said.
(There is still much to fix and many objectives to reach. But as long as we have the people's trust, we will not stop serving.)
As DepEd enters its second year under Angara, the agency said its focus remains on building a more inclusive and responsive education system.
When President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. delivered his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2024, he issued a clear order to address the gaps in the Philippine education system as he lamented the 'poor reality' hampering young learners.
Back then, the President cited international assessments revealing that more than half of students in Grades 6, 10, and 12 failed to reach the ideal proficiency levels, faring low in information literacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
Marcos thus declared that the national learning recovery program must proceed 'without the slightest disruption,' especially in basic education.
'Our system of education must be strategically calibrated to make sure that our youth are not only taught to become literate. But, it must also consciously develop them into problem-solvers, and into critical thinkers—hungry for success, ready for the future,' he said in his third presidential address. — RF, GMA Integrated News
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